Automatic heat-controlled cut-out



W. C. NEWELL.

AUTOMATlC HEAT CONTROLLED CUT-OUT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEZT. 1917.

1,309,908. 7 r PatentedJuly15,19l9.

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ammnmm THE COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH c0, WASHINGTON. n. c.

WILLIAM C. NEWELL, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

AUTOMATIC HEAT-CONTROLLED cur-our.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1919.

Application filed June 27, 1917. Serial No. 177,413.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. NEWELL,

:a citizen of the United States, residing in same, I have shown it as embodied in an electrically heated flat iron, which now describe.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fiat iron with parts broken away and shown in section in order to show the application of my invention thereto;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view through my invention as here embodied; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through my improved cut-out.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line H of Fig. 3.

I will Broadly considered, my invention com prises a movable member with means for said metal can be repeated movable member, which operates, for example, to break an electric circuit developing the heat, whereupon said fusible metal under the reduced heat again congeals and said movable member is again set and held -to be automatically released {by another fusing of said metal.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide in a device of the character referred to a member having therein a cavity filled with a fusing metal, whereby y and alternately fused and congealed as the heat to which it is subjected varies.

Another object of my invention is to provide in combination with a cavity, or pocket, filled with a fusing metal, a movable trip, or holding, member adapted to be released by the fusing of the metal around the same, with means for automatically moving said trip, or holding, member into its operating position relative to said pocket, or cavity, whereby it will be there held by the congealed metal around the same.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, 1 designates an electric flat iron having therein heating coils 2, and the terminal posts 3 and 4:. These form no part of my invention other than a means for illustrating V the practical application thereof for controlling the electric circuit by means of which said iron is heated.

My invention as here embodied comprises a cylindrical body 5, having in its opposite inner walls vertical guideways 66, and provided at its lower end with feet 77,-by means of which said body is mounted upon the bottom of the fiat iron 1, as shown. Mounted in the top of said body 1, is a hollow bearing member 8, through which operates a plunger-rod 9, the lower end of which is secured to a piston 10, having therein a cavity or pocket 11, adapted to be filled with a fusing metal 12, which is held in said pocket, or cavity, by means of a screw plug 13. Slidably mounted through said piston 10,

and through said c.vity 11, and the fusing metal 12, therein, is a steel pin 14, preferably roughened or knurled at its middle portion, as at 15, whereby to facilitate the adherence of the fusible metal 12 thereto when itis congealed. Said movable pin 1-l con- -of a coiled spring 20, the lower end of which bears upon a screw disk 21, screwed into the lower end of said hollow bearing conical shaped contact collar 22, is mounted 7 member 8, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. A

on said plunger 9, above the disk19, and is insulated from said plunger 9, as indicated. Said contact collar 22 is adapted when in its down position to contact with two opposed terminal screws 23- 23, to

which circuit wires 24l24t are connected, said circuit wires being adapted to form a 7 part of the main circuit for heatlngthe coils 22, injsaid iron. 7

The operation of my device may be briefly described as follows: 7

With the parts set in the positions shown in Fig. 3, the contact collar 22 engages and connects the terminal screws 2323, so that the circuit is closed and the coils 2-2 are being heated. Should the iron become overheated, the metal 12 in the pocket, or cavity, 11, formed in the piston 10, fuses, and the holding pin 14:, is released and moved to the right under the tension of the spring 20, which moves the plunger 9 and the piston 10 upwardly, 'said holding pin 14, being forced to the right by the cam action between its left-hand end and the holding toe 16. The guideway 6, in the right-hand side of the body 1, is slightly enlarged, opposite the right-hand end of the holding pin 14,.as at 6, to permit said pin to be moved to the to move upwardly past the holding toe 16. As the piston 10 moves upwardly, however, said pin 14, is automatically moved back to a centered position by the inclined portion 6 of said guideway. This upward movement of the plunger 9 opens the circuit by moving the contact collar 22, out of engagement with the terminal screws 2323. The circuit being opened, the iron commences to cool and the metal 12, in the cavity, or pocket, 11, again congeals and the holding pin 1% is thereby again held, or locked, in its centered position. I I

In the present embodiment of my invention,it is necessary, in order to again establish the circuit through the terminals 23-23, to press the plunger 9 downwardly to its position as shown in Fig. 8, whereupon the left-hand end of the holding pin 14 flexes the holding toe 16, outwardly sufficiently to pass downwardly by it, whereupon said holding rod 14 and the vpiston 10 will be again held in their down position by the holding toe 16. Thus every time the iron becomes overheated the fusing metal 12 is fused, the

- opens the circuit by raising the contact colbodied for purposes of illustration, and I do not, therefore, limit my invention to this particular showing, except as I may be limited by the hereto appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character referred to,

two elements movable adjacent each other,

- means normally acting to move one of said rating to move the same, a fusible metal in said pocket, and a holding member movably mounted through said pocket and adapted to beheld against movement by said fusible metal when the same is congealed, and to be released for movement when said metal fuses.

3. In combination, a cylindricalmember, a'pistonmovable therein and provided with a pocket, a spring normally operating to move said piston, a fusible metal in said pocket, and a holding member movably mounted. through said pocket and said fusible metal and adapted to" be moved out of holding position when said fusiblemetal fuses under increased heat, whereby to release said piston.

4. In combination, a cylindrical member, a piston movable therein and provided with a pocket, a spring normally operating to move said piston, a' fusible metal in said pocket, a holding member movably mounted through said pocket and said fusible metal and adapted to be moved out of holding position when said fusible metal fuses under increased heat, whereby to release said iston, and means for automatically moving said holding member back to its holding position relative to said piston;

- 5. In a device of the character referred-to, two elements mounted one within the other and movable relativeto each other, means normally acting to move said inner element relative to the outer member, a latch member carried by the inner member and adapted for holding it against movement within the outer member, a fusible material within the inner member and around said latch member for holding it against movement relative to" member carried by said movable member and movable relative thereto and adapted to have latch action to prevent movement of said movable member, and a fusible material in said pocket for holding said latch member against movement relative to said movable member and securing it thereto, Whereby when said fusible material fuses under heat, said latch member moves relative to the member which carries it and permits the movement of said movable member, substantially as described.

7 In a device of the character referred to, in combination, an outer member, a movable inner member, a spring adapted to move said inner member, said inner member being provided with a pocket, a fusible metal in said pocket, a holding member movably mounted through said inner member and said pocket and adapted to be held against movement by the congealing of said metal and to be released for movement by-the fusing of said metal, a sprin catch member adapted to be engaged by said holding member, substantially as. described.

8. In a circuit controlling device, a latch member movable in opposite directions, a member carrying the same, a fusible material for holding said latch member against movement relative to the carrying member, and a yielding means positioned to be engaged by said latch member and to be moved thereby when said latch carrying member is moved adjacent thereto, substantially as described.

9. In a device of the character referred to, in combination, a fixed contact, a movable copiel of thli potent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Washington, D. G.

contact, a spring adapted to normally move said movable contact out of engagement with said fixed contact, and means for holding said movable contact in engagement with said fixed contact against the tension of said spring, said means comprising a member movable with said movable contact member and provided with a pocket, a fusible metal in said pocket, a holding member through said pocket and said fusible metal and adapted to be held against movement by said metal when congealed and to be released when said metal fuses, and a yieldin catch member adapted to be engaged by said holding member, substantially as shown and described.

10. In a circuit controlling device, a casing, a latch carrying member therein, a latch member carried thereby and movable relative thereto, a fusible material for holding said latch member against movement relative to the latch car ing member, a yielding member positione to be engaged by said latch member to move the latter as said latch carrying member is moved adjacent thereto when said fusible material fuses, and means on said casing wall for engaging and moving said latch member to its normal position in said latch carrying member as the latter moves upwardly, substantially as described.

Signed at Portland, Multnomah county, Oregon, this 22nd day of June, 1917.

WILLIAM C. NEWELL.

Witnesses:

I. M. GRIFFIN, J. C. STRENG.

Patents, 

